Monmouth County's Ask the Doctor - Winter 2023

Mind Over Matter By, Nazli Mohideen

Megalomania is a narcissistic personality disorder in which some one is excessively driven by money, power, and strength. The name of the condition, which comes from the Greek language, means “big obsession.” Generally, a megalomaniac thinks highly of themselves and has an unrealistic perception of their abilities. An individual who suf fers from megalomania is also likely to suffer from other personality disorders. Genetics, brain damage, stress, drug abuse, childhood trauma, alcohol addiction, and other mental disorders can contribute to a megalomania diagnosis, although researchers have not yet deter mined a single cause leading to the condition. Symptoms of the disease include immense pride and an intense need for power, overwhelming feelings of sadness, narcissism, mood swings, aggressive behavior, lack of empathy, exploiting others with out remorse, high self-esteem and focusing on one’s own opinions while dismissing everyone’s around them, among other things. Diagnosing the disorder typically includes looking at the patient’s medical history and talking to close relatives and friends of the pa tient to better understand their symptoms, if any. Treatment for megalomania almost always includes prescription medication and sometimes, psychotherapy. Psychotherapy regard ing treating megalomania entails confronting the patient’s narcis sism by talking to a therapist. While it is possible to have someone with megalomania in your life, some cases of the disorder can be dangerous. Researchers rec ommend keeping one’s distance from these patients, being aware that they will likely not return the effort you are putting in the rela tionship and refraining from trying to change their behavior. Sources Used: https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-recognize-a-malignant-narcissist-4164528 https://practicalpie.com/megalomaniac/ https://optimistminds.com/megalomania/ https://positivepsychology.org.ng/who-is-megalomaniac-causes-signs-and-treatment-of-megalomania https://www.lifepersona.com/what-is-megalomania-delusions-of-greatness https://www.dictionary.com/browse/megalomania https://www.wengood.com/en/psychology/stress/art-react-to-megalomaniac

ASK THE DOCTOR

WINTER 2023

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